Army veteran Chris Sanders wants tougher penalty for teen who stabbed him

An army veteran is fighting for a heftier penalty for the teen gangster who chased him down and stabbed him at a Redlands shopping centre – and then walked free.

Army veteran Chris Sanders was stabbed in the chest at a bayside shopping centre. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

An army veteran is fighting for a heftier penalty for the teen gangster who chased him down and stabbed him at a Redlands shopping centre – and then walked free.

The teenager went on to allegedly commit further offences as an adult within weeks of being sentenced for the stabbing – which he had committed as a youth, a court has heard.

The teenager, 17 at the time, had stabbed army veteran Chris Sanders just centimetres away from his heart at Alexandra Hills Shopping Centre on December 12, 2023.

He walked free after his sentence in March on a three-month conditional release order, with 189 days on remand taken into account.

The eshay walking free from court. Picture: John Gass

The teen – who pleaded guilty to assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and wounding – also received 15 months probation and no conviction was recorded.

He then told reporters outside court to “f--- off” and that he was “famous” following his sentence.

The teen also threatened a camera crew saying “that (the TV camera) is going to go flying soon”.

Attorney-General Deb Frecklington ordered that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions lodge an appeal against the sentence, saying it failed to meet community expectations.

Prosecutor Michale Lehane submitted on behalf of the Attorney-General on Monday that the boy should be resentenced to two years in custody, and be ordered to serve an actual six months.

Voice for Victims ambassadors George and Lyndy Atkinson (from left) with Chris Sanders at the Brisbane Supreme Court. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

He told Brisbane’s Court of Appeal that deterrence and community protection should be the prime consideration when sentencing youths over attacks on the community in public.

Mr Lehane said Mr Sanders had simply been going to the shops with his wife when the teen struck his car and “baited him out”.

The teen then “pursued him” in the shopping centre – stabbing him in the leg and torso – after Mr Sanders tried to get help from security, Mr Lehane said.

He said it was a “very serious example of unlawful wounding,” particularly considering the teen had then been found in possession of a flick knife while on bail.

The court heard the teen was currently remanded in custody for unrelated adult matters.

Prior to being remanded at the start of April, he had attended his conditional release program on seven occasions – but failed to attend on five, the court heard.

Defence barrister Rebecca Horne said another judge may have issued a heftier penalty, but that the sentence didn’t go so far as being manifestly inadequate.

She said while no conviction had been recorded, the offending would still be admissible in adult court proceedings for the next five years – following recent legislation changes.

Ms Horne further submitted that the original sentence had the effect of ensuring her client was supervised for a longer period than what the Crown originally contended for.

Mr Lehane said the Court of Appeal was not constrained by the original approach of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Justice David Boddice commented to Mr Lehane that “coming here and making statements like that when the Director was not prepared to do it at first instance does not speak well of the Director.”

“ … If the judge sentenced in accordance with the Crown’s submissions, that’s a significant consideration against interfering.”

Mr Lehane said the original prosecutor had been endeavouring to assist the judge but had a “difficult task … in a situation where there was no relevant yardstick authorities”.

“This court has an opportunity to provide guidance and make a statement in relation to what is the appropriate sentence,” he said.

“ … While the (Attorney-General’s) submissions differ from the prosecution submissions below, that in my submission becomes less important in circumstances such as the present where the (teenager) took very little benefit of the opportunity that he was given in respect of the immediate release order.”

Justice John Bond said he didn’t need persuading that this was a “terrible example of offending”.

“There was no provocation by the complainant … It was always the defendant coming at the victim.”

The appeal decision will be delivered at a later date.

Outside court, Mr Sanders said he had a positive attitude towards the appeal and was hopeful it would succeed.

He had previously told media following the teen’s original sentence that he was disappointed with the outcome.

“He’s been given nothing really, it’s just disappointing,” Mr Sanders said.

Voice for Victims advocate Lyndy Atkinson “applauded” the Attorney-General for “stepping in”.

She said she hoped the proceedings would send a message to youth offenders that even offences committed prior to the “adult crime, adult time” laws may face appeal.

Originally published as Army veteran Chris Sanders wants tougher penalty for teen who stabbed him